The Legal Education of Ghana Police

Ghana is a signatory to UN treaty on Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Right. Therefore, the distasteful treatment of people who found themselves at the mercy of Ghana police force has to end and the time has come for Ghana’s government to take responsibility to educate the police force on the importance of respecting Human Rights. Ghana police constantly violate human rights obligations by beating up suspects and carrying out wrongful detentions. These violations are not only against international and regional human rights laws but also against Ghanaian constitution. Under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, the Ghana Police force constantly violates the following articles,

Article 3. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 5. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6. Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 11(1). Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence. (2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights guarantees individual rights to be presumed innocent until proven guilty by a proper court proceedings and the rights not to be punished for an offence committed by another member of their family. But time and time again the police force in Ghana commits illegal detentions and refuses with authority individual rights to fair trials which clearly violate international human rights treaties and standards. These acts of Human Rights violation is also contrary to the Ghanaian Constitution which provide a persons right to a lawyer of his choice and if a person arrested or detained is not tried within a reasonable time, without prejudice to any further proceedings that may be brought against him, he shall be released unconditionally or upon reasonable condition. The purpose of the police force is to maintain law and order to enable the citizens to live in peace and security but so far the police force has shamefully failed their duty under the law.